Summer Snowflake
by Lady Astrea Black
Summary: For the Reviews Lounge Summer Project. Lysander Scamander was in love with Lily Potter, but he was shy by nature. With the help of Albus and Scorpius, will Lysander be able to finally pick the flower he most desires, or will he forever loathe himself?


**Summer Snowflake**

"You're staring again, Ly," chortled Lorcan, nudging his twin in the side. Hard.

Lysander flinched and inched away from his brother. Embarrassed, he tore his eyes away from her. "Why do you have to hit me so hard, Lor?"

"I don't hit hard," said Lorcan, "You're just a wimp, is all."

Lysander sighed heavily and set his head in his hand again. He forced his eyes to not again stray to Lily, knowing someone was bound to notice and tell her. Or, she would notice. Which would be so much more humiliating.

"For the love of all that is adventurous in this world, Ly!" said Lorcan, huffing. "Just tell the girl and get it over with."

"I _can't, _Lor!" replied Lysander. "You know I can't."

Lorcan just rolled his eyes. "Coward," he muttered.

Lysander ignored Lorcan and his eyes again strayed to her. To her red hair and beautiful laughing face as she listened to Rose reenact a scene from some Muggle film.

It was summer break and the Scamanders twins were staying at the Burrow while their mum and dad were off in Swaziland, Africa looking for an Ersiant Sharptooth that some villagers had said they'd seen.

Lysander knew it was probably yet another false alert and he was a bit angry about it. He had wanted to spend quality time with his parents, because he hadn't been able to these last couple years. He and Lorcan were at Hogwarts most of the year and when they had holidays, they couldn't be sure that their explorer parents would be able to come.

Of course, Lorcan wasn't angry for that reason. He was the type who couldn't sit still very long or he would get jittery. Lorcan wanted to go to Swaziland, but Mum had said no right off the bat. Dad wouldn't have minded, but it wasn't Dad's decision.

"If you're going to sit here and be a little coward, I'm going to Wheezes," said Lorcan, strutting to the fireplace.

Just before he disappeared, Lysander yelled, "Not everyone can be a Gryffindor like you, you prat!"

Everyone turned to Lysander and he blushed, deciding it would be best to just sit in his room as he scurried up the stairs.

***

Lysander was sitting in his bed in Uncle George's old room, a book resting on his lap, when Albus and Scorpius entered the room. Scorpius glanced down the staircase quickly before firmly shutting the door. He tapped it and Lysander heard a squelching sound. Lysander raised an eyebrow in Scorpius's direction.

"_Colloportus. _So no one can get in," said Scorpius.

Lysander set his book beside him. "Couldn't whoever wanted to get in just use _Alohomora_?"

"If they want to get stunned, yeah," said Scorpius. "_Muffliato_."

Lysander glanced at Albus. The raven-haired nineteen-year-old was just standing there, cleaning his glasses nonchalantly, completely ignoring the fact that his best mate was setting up 'precautions'.

"What's going on?" asked Lysander slowly, glancing between the two. He didn't like this. Not at all. Did they know? Oh Merlin, he hoped they didn't know.

Albus put his glasses back on and looked Lysander straight in the face, green eyes to silver. "Scor and I have been chatting lately. We've come to a realization..."

Lysander nearly gasped. They knew.

"…and we've come to help you," finished Albus, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards. Lysander sat there a moment, his brain trying to process what Albus had just said.

Scorpius laughed. "Merlin, Lysander, don't look so excited."

"I-I just don't know what…" stuttered Lysander. He needed to get his bearings.

"I know you like my sister," continued Albus. "It's so obvious. Every time you look at her, it's written all over your face."

"And you're going to…help me?" whispered Lysander, his face warm.

"S'pose so," smirked Albus, plopping down on the faded scarlet bed covers. Scorpius leaned against the door and crossed his arms, watching in the detached way he was rather good at. "You're so bloody shy, if I don't help, some boy will have taken her out from under your nose."

"What do I do, though?" asked Lysander.

"First," said Albus, pulling a small notebook and pencil from his shirt pocket, "You have to strike up a conversation."

***

Lysander stepped out of the backdoor of the Burrow and looked up. It was one of those rare days when all the Weasleys and Potters were at the Burrow, so they had decided on a Quidditch match. Lily was Seeker.

At that very second, she was racing Louis in a near complete downward spiral to the Snitch glinting just a foot off the ground. Her dark red hair whipped around her face, her hair tie nowhere in sight. Lysander's heart skipped at the glee on her face and in her chocolate brown eyes.

Louis was three years older, but Lily was smaller. Pushing forward with a final burst, Lily reached out a hand and snagged the Snitch as she jerked the end of her broom up. Legs clenched to her broom, her knees just skimmed the ground as she screamed out and threw her arms into the air.

"You owe a _big _bag of Dots and Drooble's Bubblegum!" hollered Lily to James, who was currently glaring in Louis's direction. Everyone settled on the ground and flooded into the kitchen, hungry. Lysander stepped aside so as not to be knocked into. Lily flew around a little more, before jumping off her broomstick, and depositing it with the pile accumulated by everyone else in the middle of the yard.

She released the Snitch and skipped to the house. Lysander straightened himself, drawing his shoulders back. Albus's first rule: _No slouching. Make yourself known._ This was it.

"H-hullo, Lily," he choked out. Oh, hell…He pressed his lips together, feeling the familiar blush begin to creep onto his face.

But, Lily didn't seem to notice his strangled greeting. She stopped and smiled brightly at Lysander, as if seeing him made her day that much better. "Hi, Ly!" she said, giggling at herself.

"How…" _Rule 2: Speak clearly and confidently._ "How are you?" said Lysander. He sighed inwardly. That wasn't much louder than how he usually sounded. Sorry Al, thought Lysander.

"I'm doing fine, thanks," said Lily. "How've you been?"

"Good. I-I've, uh, been doing stuff…reading and, you know, other…stuff," sputtered Lysander. Could he make himself look any denser?

Lily's smile was a little awkward. "That's, uh, good, Ly. I haven't seen you around much, because you always run up to your room and we don't talk all that much."

It was obvious she wanted to leave. Lysander could just feel it radiating off her. "Y-yeah, I have a few really nice books…Can't put them down and…yeah. You must want to eat. You should go before all the food is gone."

"Yeah, I guess. Bye, Ly."

***

Lysander smacked himself in the forehead a couple more times, before Albus wrenched the book from his hands. Scorpius shook his head, exasperated. Albus had dragged Scorpius from his quality Rose-time to have another little meeting with Lysander, and Scorpius wasn't too ecstatic about the idea.

"That, it seems, did not go as well as we thought it would," said Albus, crossing a few things off his list.

"What now?" sighed Lysander. His eyes were fixated out the window, another Quidditch match taking place.

Albus tapped Lysander's chin, breaking the latter's stare. "It didn't work, so we'll try a different approach. Give her something that she would know as the typical 'I like you' gift. Flowers, candy…"

"Dots and Drooble's Bubblegum?" asked Lysander.

"Yes!" exclaimed Albus, grinning. "She does also like flowers. Her name _is _Lily, after all. Her favorite, I believe, is the Summer Snowflake, also known as a Loddon Lily." Albus sniggered at that.

"We're going to the store, aren't we?" said Scorpius, frowning.

***

Lily was sitting in the front room the next day, flipping through a book. Hugo had gone to work with Aunt 'Mione, to check out what it was like. Going into their seventh year in a month, Lily and Hugo had to think of their future. Lily was lazing around on that particular day, though.

Lysander took a deep breath and rounded the corner, two medium sized bags of her favorite candy tied to a vase of Summer Snowflakes hidden behind his back.

He cleared his throat and Lily glanced up. She smiled. "Hi, Ly, what d'you need?"

Trying to keep the blush from his face, he moved the vase and candies to front and center, watching as Lily's eyes widened significantly. "For you," he whispered.

She jumped up and strode over to him. "For me, Ly? Really? What for?"

"Uh," said Lysander, suddenly tongue-tied. "I-I…Albus thought you'd like it."

Her face fell. "Al suggested it? That was sweet of him for thinking of me. Tell him thanks, won't you?"

Lysander felt like crying right there. Lorcan had been right all along. Lysander Scamander was a complete and utter dunce. Lily took the gift that Lysander had gotten her, even if she thought it was from Al, and put them on the table beside her seat. She gave Lysander a small, barely noticeable, smile and returned to her book without a second glance, leaving him to trudge out of the room, feeling like the most idiotic person alive.

***

Lysander was cleaning his room, or rather his twin's side of the room, when the door slammed open, bouncing off the wall as it left a dent. James was standing there menacingly, tall and angry-looking. Lysander lay down the duster he had in his hand and inwardly cowered, wondering why the eldest Potter was so upset.

"I have a bone to pick with you," growled James. He strode over to Lysander until their faces were but an inch apart.

"Uh, y-yes?" squeaked Lysander. James smelled of sulfur, but that was not unusual for him and it would've been more overwhelming, had it not been that they were in a room that always had several faint scents in the air.

"I've been thinking, and I want to make something very clear before you get any ideas into that blonde-haired head of yours," said James. "I've seen the way you've been hanging around Lils lately, and I've got two words for you: _Back off_."

"W-what do you m-mean?" said Lysander. Holy hobgoblins, did _everyone _know?

"Don't play dumb with me, Scamander!" bellowed James, talking a handful of the front of Lysander's shirt, causing the younger to flinch.

"Why don't _you _back off, James?" said a voice at the door. James whirled around to face Albus, Scorpius, and Rose.

"Why should I?" asked James. "I'm not letting this petty prat make any moves on our little sister! Did you know that's what he's been doing the past two days?"

"Yeah," said Albus calmly. "I've been helping him, too."

James' jaw dropped and he looked ready to clobber Albus. "Ly, why don't you go downstairs with Rose?" said Albus.

"He isn't going _anywhere_!" James' face was tomato red. Lysander knew he might explode at any second.

"How are you going to stop him?" asked Albus, as he and Scorpius pulled their wands out.

***

"James is the king of going overboard," muttered Rose angrily.

Lysander and Rose were in the sitting room, sitting cross-legged from one another. There had been hollering and a few loud crashes from upstairs for a good ten minutes or so, before James had stormed downstairs and Floo'd to Wheezes, glaring murderously in Lysander's direction. Albus and Scorpius had joined the two after they had fixed the damage done to the twin's room.

"Hasn't he always been?" asked Albus, biting into a bar of chocolate. Scorpius had his arm around Rose's shoulder, staring at the ceiling, and not really bothering to give any of his witty comments. Rose was about to throw in her hand of cards in the disaster that was Lysander trying to get Lily to date him.

"_Anyway_, now that we are off the subject of James," said Rose, turning all of her attention to Lysander. "We have your problem to deal with. I have come up with the perfect idea. Perfect, unless you mess it up, Ly."

Lysander looked at his hands. "So," continued Rose, "I am going to herd Lily outside tonight while everyone is too busy, just about the time the house settles down and it nears bedtime. I'll tell her I want to talk to her and then when we are out there, I will say that I forgot something and have her stay there while I 'go get it'. Are we clear so far?" Lysander nodded.

"Okay. Then, I'll send you out with yet _another _bag of Drooble's Bubblegum and this time, a single flower. I trust that you not trip over yourself, and since it will be dark, I don't suppose she'll notice you blush. You give her the gum and flower and tell her that it's from you, as was the other gift of candy and flowers. Then, you lean in and kiss her."

Lysander blanched. "_That's _your brilliant plan? What if she pushes me away?"

"Then you can get over it and move on," said Scorpius, tilting his head forward to look fully at Lysander. "That's how I did it with Rose. I gave her a bag of sugar quills and roses, and then I leaned in and kissed her. Luckily for me, she went with it and now look at us!"

Scorpius turned to Rose and their lips locked, Scorpius's grip tightening on her shoulder. Lysander blushed fiercely. He was almost seventeen, but he'd only kissed a girl once in his life, and that had been an accident. He couldn't imagine purposely kissing Lily.

Albus clapped his hands together, effectively breaking up the couple, who appeared on the brink of full out snogging. "Let's get to it, then!"

***

It was nighttime. Lysander watched nervously as Rose went over to Lily and whispered in her ear. Lily gave Rose a curious look, but jumped up and followed, telling someone to finish her chess match with Hugo.

Once the girls had disappeared through the kitchen and out the door, Albus grabbed his ear, the signal, and Lysander stood. James glared at Lysander, but he ignored James and went to stand at the kitchen window. Rose and Lily disappeared behind a tree, and Lysander became jittery. A minute passed and Rose was running full kilter toward the house, her long legs pushing her, as she yelled something to Lily.

Rose banged through the door. Handing Lysander the flower, with a decent sized bag attached to it, she shoved him outside. "Don't mess this up or I'll wring your bloody neck!" she hissed into his ear. She slammed the door and Lysander was suddenly alone, and scared.

For a second he was paralyzed, but a sharp rap on the door's windowpane got him moving. He walked slowly, listening to the crickets. The sky was cloudless; a waxing moon surrounded by millions of stars brightening the sky in a magnificent luster as a warm wind rustled the trees and ruffled Lysander's scraggly blonde hair.

He finally reached the tree and shuffled nervously to the side Lily was sitting at, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling with starlight as she stared aimlessly into the sky. He slid the gift slightly behind him as Lily realized she wasn't alone and looked his way.

She frowned and his heart fell. "Hi, Ly," she murmured, glancing away.

"I have something for you," whispered Lysander, stepping closer to her. She stood, her head tilted slightly. He swiftly stuck the gift out to her.

"More gum and another flower," said Lily, taking it tentatively. "Did Al suggest this too?"

"N-no, I did," said Lysander. "T-the last gift was, uh…from me t-too. I really li…" but his words was cut off as Lily suddenly pressed her lips to his.

Lysander's heart stopped and his body tensed. Lily tried to move away, thinking something was wrong, but he grabbed her and pressed himself against her, entwining his hands into her long hair. Lily gasped against his lips, but wrapped her arms around her neck, standing on her tiptoes.

She smelled of vanilla. Her lips were soft, and tasted like Dots and bubblegum. A breeze flowed past them lazily, warm on the summer night, where they could be found.

Lysander drew back slightly and breathed, "I love you, Lily."

* * *

**Endnote: **As I said in the summary, I wrote this story for the Reviews Lounge Summer Project. I had a totally different idea for this story, and it wasn't going to take place during summer, so I can say that the Project sculpted how the story is now. I was sad to see that there were no Lysander/Lily stories, so I felt compelled to do it myself! To those Ly/Lily shippers out there, this is for you!


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